Another day, and another app enters the scene. But this time, it’s not just another mindless game or exercise tracking tool, it’s a military app aimed at aligning National Guard talent with different project needs around the DoD. So, now when the DoD needs a specific skillset from a Guard or reserve member, there’s an app for that. The Defense Innovation Unit is working on the app project for the DoD. Scott Sumner, technical project manager at DIU’s AI/machine learning portfolio, explained that the app, called Gig Eagle, will help connect the DoD with untapped talent.
It’s an AI-powered app that will take into account skills and biographical data. Both hiring managers and reservists will be able to use the tool to connect talent and work options. Short-term needs pop up all the time, and the app will help fill those talent gaps as they arise. Gig Eagle is also voluntary for reservists, but it can be beneficial not only for personal development, but also for connecting qualified talent with digital workforce needs at locations like the Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC). With the SMC as the main acquisition organization for the U.S. Space Force, Christopher “CJ” Johnson, the senior individual mobilization augmentee for Cross-Mission Ground and Communications Enterprise said, “As you can imagine, we have a lot of needs related to engineering, data and cybersecurity and information network disciplines.” Congress has already set aside $3 million in FY 21 NDAA to develop the initial prototype. The DIU will also be looking for pitches from vendors later this summer, with testing of the selected prototypes slated for later this year.
Layoffs Impacting the Cleared Industry
| Fujifilm Manufacturing |
Fujifilm Manufacturing will lay off 400 employees at its four of its plants in South Carolina. Consolidation plans and third party companies are part of the strategic plans to be in place by September 2022. “Market economic trends and a declining demand for many of the products manufactured in Greenwood challenged us to focus on how we adapt our efforts to continue to build a global, sustainable approach for Fujifilm,” President Todd Croker said in a press release. The Japanese corporation has had a presence in Greenwood, SC since 1988 with its 500-acre campus. Changing trends make a difference in the benefits of maintaining prior investments. |
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Hiring impacting the Cleared Industry
| Leidos | For the eighth year in a row, Leidos chairman and CEO, Roger Krone is named to the Wash100 for winning billion dollar contracts. With multiple acquisitions over the past two years, Krone has grown capabilities at Leidos and integrated different teams together.
“Roger Krone has consistently demonstrated leadership by example and consistent performance,” said Executive Mosaic Garrettson. “Unlike many others CEOs in the government contracting world of organic plus M&A fast-paced growth, Roger has proven his ability to scale up not only the operation but has also helped build a culture of cohesive winning, superior management and an uncanny ability to manage the market, board expectations and the demands of being an almost $13 billion dollar public company.” With open positions at every clearance level for many agencies, Leidos has work all over the country. Most recently, Leidos was awarded NASA’s Advanced Enterprise Global Information Technology Solutions (AEGIS) contract, a 10-year, $2.5 billion contract for telecommunications, cloud, and date center services at multiple NASA centers and facilities. Contract goes into effect September 1. |
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Opportunity to Watch
While Georgia may not seem like the DoD contracting mecca, there are over 100 defense contractors in the coastal region of the state. The state recognizes the value that DoD contracting brings to the area, by setting up a grant for small to mid-size businesses through the Georgia Department of Economic Development Center of Innovation for Aerospace. In order to make sure contractors have what they need to meet cyber standards, like CMMC, Cyber Security Solutions is providing support. Vice President and COO of Cyber Security Solutions Zach Hodges says that with the DoD requirements, “They have to upload the results into a DoD score card but more importantly it shows what kind of vulnerabilities are out there it also is going to identify the steps that they’re going to take going forward to meet that compliance.”
The goal is to make sure that the companies hardest hit by CMMC requirements will have what they need in order to continue to support the DoD.
“The lion share of the costs are actually being covered by the state of Georgia. It’s a limited opportunity so they’re not going to be able to open this up to every person in the state right now but for those companies, it’s huge because they’re only paying $500 out of pocket when they’re applying for this grant. Normally this would be anywhere from 6 to 10 or more thousand dollars for those companies to obtain,” said Hodges.
While the cost of implementing CMMC requirements can seem burdensome, it is a team effort for the DoD and local government offices, as well as contractors, to shore up cyber vulnerabilities and prepare for future attacks.
